UAE. Investors weighing up their options in Dubai real estate were warned today to focus on under-supplied properties offering the best real value rather than those made to stand out by the most creative marketing initiatives.

Firas Al Msaddi, CEO of fäm Properties, one of Dubai’s largest real estate brokerages, said on the closing day of Cityscape Global that careful analysis of market supply and demand is the key for property buyers.

“There are so many amazing projects in Dubai and every developer claims that its product is the best,” said Al Msaddi. “Real estate marketing and promotion has gone to a new level of creativity and can confuse inexperienced investors or end users trying to identify the best purchase.”

“If you have a budget of AED1.2 million and want a one bedroom apartment of 750-850 sq ft within a 2km radius of Dubai Mall, there are more than 100 very similar buildings to choose from.

Added Al Msaddi: “It’s vital to evaluate a property in the context of expected end user demand once the project is completed in order to get the best return on investment.”

“Demand can be measured in terms of the property’s liveability offering – the amount of space and comfort – combined with the individuality and unique nature of the development and the overall market supply factor.”

“Location, price, developer’s reputation, quality of build, size and view are usually the main decision-making factors, but buyers should make end user demand the main driver of their investment decision.”

Al Msaddi identifies a number of developments offering under supplied products he believes will generate growing demand due to their unique offerings. These include:

NIKKI Beach Apartments - the only project in Dubai offering a combined experience of beach club, waterfront 5-star hotel, freehold apartments with private beach located in the heart of Jumeirah.

City Walk – located between Downtown and Jumeirah Beach, offering the only modern low-rise, freehold and spacious apartments as well as a unique retail component and entertainments landmarks.